NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
Beth Ramos and Tristan Pena run separate races on Saturday mornings, but their similarities outweigh the differences.
They are classmates. They are teammates. And this weekend, they are both gold medalists at the RGV Cross Country Coaches Association Meet of Champions at Pioneer High School.
Pena said Ramos works just as hard as he does, and he was happy they were able to share the moment of earning their first individual gold medals at the Meet of Champions as seniors.
“It’s a good school. We train together. Beth trains with the boys. We push each other through practice,” Pena said. “We made a bet. If she gets first, I have to get first.”
Both runners were paces ahead of their runner-up. Pena ran a 15:40.4, more than seven seconds clear of Rio Grande City’s Brandon Gracia. The run was the second best 5,000-meter time of Pena’s career. Only his state run last year was quicker.
He was pleased with such a low time despite less than ideal ground conditions.
“It was really tough,” Pena said. “It felt a lot harder than the normal courses that aren’t muddy, but I knew I was going to put down a good time when I picked up the pace. Just went out there and competed.”
Ramos’ goal was to set her personal record, but when the mud altered those plans, she settled for her initial goal.
“I’ve been wanting to win the meet of champs since I was a freshman,” Ramos said. “I’ve been trying and trying and just couldn’t. And finally, I feel pretty happy. As a senior, before I leave high school, I have the title for meet of champs.”
Ramos finished with an 18:18.6, nearly half a minute clear of runner-up Brianna Robles of La Joya Palmview. Given the wide margin, Ramos realized she hadn’t seen the best of Robles, who is always a top runner.
“It’s the beginning of the season, we’re all looking for the state meet. That’s the biggest meet. That’s where we’re supposed to peak. It’s still good to win races, but I know that she’s more capable. We’re not all ready at the beginning. It’s progress. You build up it to it. I respect her a lot. I still have my guard up.”
Both Pena and Ramos are savvy and experienced enough to know a race in early September just a stepping stone rather than a goal.
“Winning these races just builds confidence and lets you see where you are at this point,” Ramos said. “It’s good to get this out, run fast. After practicing, you want to compete.”
Pena has aspirations for state and beyond in his senior campaign.
“It feels good. I’ve trained a lot these past two weeks and month,” Pena said. “I’ve been pushing myself. I have bigger achievements later on in the season.”
Edinburg North coach Doug Erickson was on hand to watch his top runners claim the crown. He’s no stranger to the success. The boys cross country team won last year’s district championship, while Ramos won the individual girl’s gold.
“It’s great for the kids, of course, because they get more exposure for the next level,” Erickson said after the elite boys race. “They are some of the top athletes in the Valley. What’s important to us is that they’re continuing to learn how to dial it up for the bigger meets. The fact they can step up on a muddy day like this on a fairly difficult course indicates that the training is working: both physically and psychologically.”
La Joya Palmview’s girls took the team title behind the strong finishes of Robles, Baily Villalon and Oma Sanchez.
Rio Grande City’s boys narrowly edged out the team from McAllen Memorial to take the team boys championship.